ZebraPleco.com • The complete Hypancistrus zebra resource

check this out
http://www.plecofanatics.com/forum/show ... php?t=8680

do any of you guys feed your zebras market prawns or shimps?? frozen fish food cost alot in my local fish shops. almost 25 bucks for a small bucket of frozen brine shrimp. im looking for alternative ways to save money. if any of you feed your zebras with market shrimps, what is the safest way to prepare them?

thanks

I buy whole, frozen prawns. I cut off the tip of the head and the legs, and throw them in the blender together with zucchini, carrots, peas or whatever veggies I have at the moment, add a few mussels (shelled ), spirulina and a dash of garlic. Then blend to a very fine mix.

Then I put the mix in a plastic bag, the see through ones made for frozen foods, pat the mixture flat and make sure there's no air in the mix, and put in the freezer.

One batch lasts me for a couple of months, and contain all the nutrition they need, although I do feed other foods as well, and it's cheap. I cut thin slices from the mix while it's still frozen, then feed.

Sounds good Mceve. How do you find the zebras react to it?

It has never crossed my mind to put in a little garlic, but certainly makes sense.

Sounds good Mceve. How do you find the zebras react to it?

It has never crossed my mind to put in a little garlic, but certainly makes sense.

Du ma

Not so, much nowadays, but I used to use frozen shelled prawns but i have never found a cheaper alternative apart from buying a bigger bag!!!

Rob wrote:Sounds good Mceve. How do you find the zebras react to it?

It has never crossed my mind to put in a little garlic, but certainly makes sense.

They love it, and seem to thrive on the diet they're getting. They've got blue fins and do their best to spawn despite my disturbances to them

It sounds to be delicious. I would love to taste it myself.

But why garlic for zebra's?

Hi Cascudo,

Check this post by Des:

http://www.zebrapleco.com/forum/viewtop ... c&start=15

I too have been toying with the idea of making up my own food for the zebras. I must be spending a small fortune on frozen shrimp, I get three feeds out of a blister pack which costs £2.25.

get three feeds out of a blister pack

Blimey Adam how many fish have you got now?

what are the assupmtions of risk that would be involved??

shrimps and prawns are for human comsumption, is it safe for our zebras? humans have a much stronger immune system to defend against diseases than the puny little zebras no?

du ma,
Most good fish foods contain processed fish meal made from sea fish as the protein element. As an example take a look at the ingredients that go into ZM foods
www.zmsystems.demon.co.uk
I would suggest that any (frozen) saltwater organisms/parasites in sea food cannot be transfered to freshwater inhabitants, therefore use frozen mussels ,other frozen seafood etc rather than live freshwater food items such as Daphnia, Bloodworm,Tubifex etc which contain a lot of unwanted organisms.
Through having had some personal bad experiences ,I dont use any freshwater live food (from unknown sources), apart from a daphnia culture I have in a tub in the garden which also provides some mosquito larvae in the summer. And only occasionally use irradiated frozen bloodworm.
Regards,
Des

HI
are the prawns you use cooked and shelled and where can i get spirulina?

cheers

The prawns I use are cooked, but not peeled. That's why I cut the front of the head (with the "spear") away, the legs and end of the tail. I buy spirulina in health stores

i just blended and tried my home made food and the fishes loved it. i used peeled shrimp without the head, spirulinia, crushed some carnivore pellets and garlic. blend it into a fine paste and frozed it. cut them up into chunks they dont dissolve in the water. im planning to make some more later, we can save alot of money by making our own food.